


A Garden Blooming

by nidnub



Category: Purple Hyacinth (Webcomic)
Genre: Awkwardness, But they're doing their best, Dorks in Love, Drinking, Dylan is Alive and Well, F/M, First Meetings, Flirting, Friendship, Harvey isn’t a traitor, Kieran is an Artist, Meet-Cute, Miscommunication, Neither of them knows how to tell if the other likes them, Phantom Scythe Doesn't Exist AU, Rating May Change, Same Characters minus the Trauma, This is for all the Lauki shippers who need some good fluffy wholesome content in their lives, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nidnub/pseuds/nidnub
Summary: In a world where the Phantom Scythe never existed, Lauren and Kieran grow up without the trauma of losing their childhoods and loved ones. Lauren devotes herself to being the best detective she can be and Kieran spends his days  simply drawing Ardhalis as he sees it. But one day their paths cross, and neither of them are prepared for what's to come. Like a flower, what they have is colorful, bold and shall bloom even in the face of adversity.(Inspired by Soph's most recent streams!)
Relationships: Lauren Sinclair & Dylan Rosenthal, Lauren Sinclair/Kieran White, Lila Desroses/Lukas "Grumpy Cat" Randall, William Hawkes/Kym Ladell
Comments: 26
Kudos: 129





	1. Daffodil

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was born out of a need to see these two to be normal, well-adjusted people who meet one day and fall in love. It is pure self indigence and wish fulfillment for 'what could have been' if they never had to live through what they had. Also I can write them being cute and awkward without it being ooc. Enjoy the free therapy lads! Special thanks to the people in the discord for helping me with this fic!!  
> Fanart by @sandvich_thief on instagram so please hit her up and send some love!!

**Daffodil** : A yellow trumpet-shaped spring flower. It's also known as Narcissus, named after the beautiful Greek youth who became one after he fell in love with his own reflection. Daffodils are often associated with rebirth and new beginnings.

.

.

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Kieran White was a simple man.

Ever since he’d been a boy, he’d been told by others that he would grow into someone great. He’d been fortunate enough to be born into a wealthy family and had the blessings of good looks, strength and intelligence (or so they said but you’d never hear him deny it). He could be anything he put his mind to; a doctor, a mathematician, an actor, a sports star, among others. He’d had so many options volleyed toward him in his youth that he’d forgotten most a long time ago.

But he’d never aspired for greatness, never felt the need to be more than he truly was, and he was an artist.

Not the kind that was commissioned to create larger than life portraits for the wealthy to fawn over. The gilded halls and static, artificial drudgery of it all held little appeal for him. No, his passion was for the everyday. The mundane. Moments of life captured in a few strokes of the charcoal. His subject of choice was Ardhalis and the colours were her people. His parents and their friends obviously thought this was all far below his status and potential, but he’d learned to tune them out long ago, focusing instead on trying to immortalise his city as he saw it.

Which was why he found himself sitting on a bench outside the main square almost every day, dressed in respectably shabby clothing, silently observing the hustle and bustle of city life and trying his best to capture it all.

Kieran’s eyes passed over the scene before him. It was spring in Ardhalis and the city had finally begun to thaw after the long winter. Snow no longer coated the streets, the flowers had begun to bloom and the people no longer wore their heaviest coats to cope with the cold. He loved how the change in the seasons dictated the change in society. How, despite being in the middle of the city, they were still commanded by nature. There was a simplicity to it that he found satisfying.

It was still the people he found the most interesting to study though. They all went about their lives and partook in their daily routines, all completely unaware that they were being observed. He’d been at this spot long enough to recognise many of their faces: The Beggar, an old man with sad, tired eyes who’d often hold out his hat to pedestrians for coins that would pay for his meal that day. The Politician, fat and arrogant, who strutted about the streets as if he owned them, pompously believing himself to be above those around him. The Busker, a music student who played the violin for hours on end in exchange for a little more cash to go out at night. The Florist, with her pleasant smile as she tended to the roses and hyacinths as if they were her children. He’d come up with stories for all of them. He liked to think that he could learn about their lives just by watching them go about their days and committing them to paper forever.

By far his favourite person to observe though was The Officer.

She passed by him every day at 7:45 AM like clockwork, eyes always glued to the newspaper in her hands, making her way along the sidewalk and turning the corner without another thought. She’d only be there for a moment, her brisk gait made sure of that, but what little he’d seen of her had him more intrigued than anything else, though Kieran couldn’t exactly place why.

Physically, she was a remarkably lovely young woman. She was tall and slender but was clearly fit due to police training. Her striking auburn hair, always kept in a high ponytail, already made her stand out when compared to the other women around the square. Her skin, smooth and white as porcelain, always seemed to glow in the early morning light. But it was the confidence in her step that set her apart from the other lovely ladies of the city. The pride in herself and her profession. The trust she possessed in her own abilities to carry out her work. It practically radiated from her even though she kept her nose in the paper whenever he saw her. This confidence became even more apparent when, just a few weeks before, she’d walked by in a professional work suit and coat rather than her standard navy patrol uniform.

 _Promoted,_ Kieran figured after a moment of being caught off guard. _A capable officer with good enough deduction skills to be promoted to detective before even hitting 25_. He should really start calling her the ‘The Detective’ but he’d already gotten so used to calling her ‘the Officer’ that it was difficult for him to change.

Still, despite all he’d observed of her so far, he felt like there was so much more he could learn if only he could get a proper look at her eyes. She never wore her mask when she walked by, after all she wouldn’t be on duty yet, but she always had her eyes trained so intently on that damn newspaper that he could never get a good enough look to see them or even guess their colour. He’d seen enough of her to make a few sketches but never got the full picture. The eyes were the windows to the soul after all. What more could he uncover about her when he finally caught a glimpse of them?

That, he’d decided, would be his mission for the day.

It was only 7:30, so he still had some time before he needed to look out for her. In the meantime, he busied himself with sketching the Bird Lady on the bench next to his own as she scattered breadcrumbs for the pigeons. He was in the middle of adding the finishing details to his sketch, quickly glancing up at the old woman once more, before he felt his heart stop for a moment. Because he’d seen a glimpse of that familiar ruby hair in the corner of his vision. His eyes darted back up and- yes, there she was, making her way along the pavement towards the corner. _Dammit, she was early!_ He was on his feet before he even processed it, sketchbook tucked under his arm as he hurried after her retreating figure.

“Pardon me, Officer!” He called just as she was about to round the corner.

He saw her freeze and glance over her shoulder before folding her newspaper and hurrying over to him, her face serious yet earnest.

“Is there anything you need assistance with, Sir?” she inquired as they halted before one another. He would have responded, but he’d finally gotten a good look at those elusive eyes of hers.

 _Gold_ was the first word that came to mind. _Gold_ and _amber_ and _honey_.

It was at that moment he realized that he’d have to explain himself to the attractive detective he’d been casually observing for the past few months. He wasn’t stupid enough to try to fabricate something, it would be unwise to lie to an officer of the law. Still, he hadn’t been prepared to actually talk to her. This was going to be _awkward_ , but Kieran was nothing if not an honest man, so he put on a shy smile and cleared his throat.

“Actually, there’s no emergency per se,” Kieran said, removing his tweed hat with one hand and scratching the back of his head with the other before replacing it. “It’s kind of embarrassing actually, but I just wanted to get a better look at your eyes.”

The look of shock on her face prompted him to continue rambling.

“Oh, that sounded like a pickup line didn’t it.” He muttered more to himself before looking back up at her. “Look, I’m an artist,” He gestured to his sketchbook, “I sit out here everyday and draw the people around the square. I try to understand their lives by watching them go about their days, but you’re always looking down at your newspaper so I could never really get a good idea of what you were really like and-.” He sighed, looking down at his feet. “’I’d understand if you don’t believe me though. It all sounds like a load of hogwash.”

She continued to regard him with those striking eyes for a moment before releasing a relieved sigh and offering a small understanding smile. “Oh don’t worry, I believe you.”

“Seriously?” He asked, not believing that his pathetic excuse actually worked.

“Seriously,” She responded, standing up a little straighter, “I’m a police officer after all. I’ve been trained to tell when people lie,” She gave a little shrug, looking off to the side. “Guess I’m just really good at it.”

“I suppose that would explain why you were promoted to detective.” He said before he could stop himself.

Her eyes darted back to him, wide as saucers, with a blush rapidly spreading across her cheeks, “How did you-?”

“Your uniform changed a few weeks ago from the usual patrol uniform and I just assumed. I swear I’m not a stalker or anything.” He explained, regretting his life choices more and more by the minute.

She studied him with that piercing gaze of hers once more. He’d rarely seen eyes of that colour in his time watching the other citizens. But the way that she focused squarely on him made him more self-conscious than anything, like she could figure out every secret he’d ever had with just a glance.

“That observant, are you?” She asked, sounding both curious and impressed. “How long have you been watching me exactly?”

Kieran let out a little laugh, still shocked that she actually believed him, “Oh don’t feel too special, darling. I watch everyone around here. I could probably tell you the life stories of all the people in this square. And to answer your question, Detective, only a few months.”

She huffed out a laugh herself before offering him a teasing grin, “With analytical skills like that you could easily make detective.”

His face twisted a little, “Eh, police work never sounded appealing to me. I prefer to be the silent observer who sees life as it is and commits it to paper without judgement, although there are some rather dubious things one ends up encountering in my line of work.”

She hummed in understanding before offering him a challenging glare. “Humour me then, Mister ‘Silent Observer’.”

He raised an intrigued eyebrow at her.

“Now that you’ve seen these ‘elusive eyes’ of mine,” She continued, “I’d like to know about what you can deduce about me now that you’ve gotten a look at the full picture.”

Kieran was taken aback at her boldness for a moment before smirking, “I may need a bit more time than that to figure you out. I can’t just know after only five minutes.”

“True,” She agreed, adjusting her ponytail, “But you’ve already got a couple months worth of information about me and my mannerisms to work with…” She paused in thought for a moment before her eyes lit up. “How about a first impression then?”

His grin widened before nodding. _That_ he could do, “Alright Detective, I concede. You want to hear my first impression? Fine.”

He allowed his gaze to fall over her. She wore an almost smug expression now, as if she were daring him to fail.

 _Challenge accepted_.

He cleared his throat, “First of all, I get the impression that you get a lot of comments about those pretty eyes of yours, and that you’re sick of hearing men prattle on about them.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. _Jackpot_.

He continued to roll with it, “I bet they use words like ‘critical’ or ‘thoughtful’ or-”

“Pensive.” She interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

“Hear that one a lot now do you?” he quipped.

A look of minor disgust washed over her face “You wouldn’t believe the number of bad dates that have ended because they bring up my ‘pensive eyes’.”

He shrugged, “No offense but I see what they mean.” The murderous look that flashed in her eyes in that moment prompted him to continue. “I’m not surprised though, given your profession. Can’t imagine what it’s like to have that pressure on your shoulders. You seem like the type who’d stop at nothing to solve a case even at the cost of your sleep, judging by those dark circles under your eyes anyways.”

The look of pure disbelief on her face was worth any prior embarrassment he may have endured before.

He continued, “You think I’d be a good detective? Well you’d probably give me a run for my money if you quit your job and became a street artist.”

That seemed to snap her out of her awe. Laughter bubbled out of her as if that was the funniest thing he’d said all day, “If I could draw anything other than stick figures maybe. Until that day, rest assured that your job is safe from me.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” He grinned, “I was just starting to enjoy this spot. I’d hate to have to leave and find a new one. That would be a real pain.”

“Speaking of leaving,” She said, glancing at the clocktower. It was 7:50 now, “I really should be heading to work now. It was nice chatting with you though Mister Silent Obser-”

“My name’s Kieran,” He interrupted, offering his hand. “Kieran White.”

She hesitated for a moment before nodding, taking his hand in hers and shaking it firmly, “Lauren Sinclair.”

“Well, Detective Sinclair, it’s been a pleasure. I’ll be able to give you my final impression soon. Until then you’ll have to live on without this very vital knowledge about yourself.”

Lauren giggled and raised the back of her hand to her forehead like a damsel in distress, “Oh the torture! What am I to do with my life then?”

“You’re a strong girl, you’ll survive.” He said, slowly stepping backwards. “Have a nice day Lauren.”

She mirrored his actions, waking backwards before saying: “You too… Kieran”

She said his name as if testing the feel of it on her lips before deciding she liked it.

And with that she was off, turning around and walking along her regular path before going around the corner, but not before glancing up at him once more with those remarkable eyes and rosy cheeks.

Kieran let out a breath he felt like he’d been holding from the moment he saw her walk by. He hadn’t felt this invigorated in a long time. How could he be even _more_ interested in her than he had been before?

He hurried back over to his bench and opened his sketchbook, hastily flipping to a new page.

“Lauren Sinclair,” He murmured, trying to bring back the image of her face as if it weren’t already burned into his memory forever.

And with that he began to draw.

-

Lauren Sinclair had a problem.

A problem she’d never dealt with in all 22 years of her life. She was one of the youngest detectives the 11th Precinct had ever seen, had worked years to hone her analytical skills, had acquired enough combat training to take down even the most intimidating of foes and could even detect the lies of those around her.

So why was she so flustered over some random street artist?

Alright, she wasn’t exactly _flustered_. It’s just that it had been a long time since she’d been caught off guard like that, and by a man no less.

Kieran White. The man who’d been silently paying attention to her for months. The man who raced after her in the simple hope of catching a glimpse of her eyes. The man who went from awkward and endearing to witty and charming in the blink of an eye. The man who could read her like a book just by looking at her. The man who hadn't once lied to her.

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t find him interesting.

That interest only seemed to grow with each passing day. It had been just over a week since their first encounter, and ever since then her walk to work had become the most nerve wracking part of her day. Because everyday she made her way over to the square, anticipating his presence and everyday she was rewarded with the pressure of his azure gaze. She’d glance away from her newspaper and offer him an inquisitive look, as if to ask: _‘Is your assessment ready yet?’_ And he’d just offer that smug grin of his and shake his head in a manner that just screamed: _‘Not yet Detective. Be patient’_. It was both infuriating and invigorating at the same time, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to get him out of her head.

A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

“Ren, you’re spacing out again. Are you alright?” Dylan asked, now leaning back into his cafe chair. The golden light of the afternoon shone through the windows and caught in his white hair like a beacon. She remembered that they were supposed to be catching up during one of their rare afternoons off.

“Sorry,” Lauren muttered, rubbing her eyes and taking another sip of her coffee. “I’ve had a lot on my mind recently.”

“Work got you stressed again?” He asked with an understanding look on his face. “I feel that. Med school has been a pain recently. I don’t know how I’m gonna survive another two years, not to mention residency.”

Lauren rolled her eyes, “Oh don’t give me that, you’ve worked harder than anyone else to get where you are.” She let her shoulders drop a little and looked out the window to the street, “But no, it’s not work.”

Dylan hummed, pausing for a moment before he spoke again, his tone mischievous. “Oh I see. You’re thinking about your boyfriend again aren’t you?”

She sighed in exasperation, resting her mug down a little harder that she should have. _Not this again_.

“I told you he’s not my boyfriend.” She groaned, rubbing her temples. “God I shouldn’t have even told you about him.”

“Like hell you should have!” He insisted in that teasing tone of his that never failed to rile her up. “Last time I saw you you were all blushy and embarrassed because some handsome artist said you were his muse.”

“Ok first of all,” She said, pointing an accusatory finger at him, “He never told me I was his muse, and secondly, I never told you that he was handsome.”

His smirk only grew at that, “Oh Lauren, I’ve known you long enough to be able to tell when you’re into a man, just like you can tell when people lie. But I also have a pair of working eyes and just so happened to pass through the square this afternoon on my way here.”

Horror spread through her like wildfire, “You didn’t.”

“Oh, I think we both know that I did.” He sighed dramatically, running a hand through his unruly platinum hair. “Amazing how few street artists are left in the city these days. Such a shame.”

“You didn’t talk to him or-!” She began before he cut her off.

“Relax, I was only there to observe,” He assured her. “I doubt he even noticed me. He was too busy sketching a little girl playing with a dog.”

The mental image of that alone made her heart squeeze just a little because _of course he’d draw little girls with their dogs_.

“My point,” Dylan continued, leaning over the table to get more in her face, “Is that your artist is the definition of ‘Tall, Dark and Handsome’, and as a man who only likes women, I think that statement should speak volumes.”

She could feel her face beginning to heat up again. The thing was that she already knew he was good looking. She wasn’t blind after all. Kieran was a well built man: tall and lean, with broad shoulders and a wide chest which tapered down to a narrow waist. His inky black hair was long enough that it could be tied in a bun behind his head, but not long enough to prevent a few unruly strands from making their way into his eyes. He had a classically handsome face too, with high cheekbones, a strong jawline and eyes as deep and blue as the ocean in the summer.

The issue wasn’t that Kieran was _handsome_. The issue was that she found him _attractive_.

Lauren hadn’t been lying when she said that most of her dates end up going poorly. The men who she’d given chances to in the past were either pompous lying bastards who felt entitled to her attention or shy feeble boys who were intimidated by her presence. She’d decided years ago to put men on the back burner and focus on her career, and that had gotten her pretty far.

But now she’d met a man who was both respectful and engaging, and the novelty of it all had her feeling unsure of what her next move should be.

“Look Ren, I’m going to be real with you,” Dylan conceded, tone becoming more serious. “The truth is that I’ve been worried about you. We’ve all been worried about you. Your parents, Kym and Will, we’ve all been concerned. You’ve been so focused on your job that you’ve put everything else on hold. And look where that’s got on you, you’re a detective now! You’re exactly where you dreamed to be since we were children and we all couldn’t be more proud. But you’re still young and have so much more to look forward to. I haven’t seen you be this excited about anything other than your career in such a long time, and it’s all because of him. Hell, you’ve literally begun letting your hair down more.” He gestured to the loose hair which fell past her shoulders and framed her face. “I’m telling you this because I’m your friend and I care about you: you need to begin living your life again and you should start by taking a chance on him.”

Lauren was completely taken aback by the frankness and the sincerity in his voice. But then a small smile began to spread across her face, and she understood. There was a reason Dylan Rosenthal was one of her best friends.

“Thanks,” Lauren finally responded, golden eyes meeting his grey ones. “I think I needed to hear that.”

“Good, I’m glad.” He said, smile genuine and supportive, before he leaned over the table once more, hand cupped around his mouth as if to tell her a secret. “Besides, if he does turn out to be a bastard, it’s more than justified for you to kick his ass.”

They both burst into laughter at that and continued to chat even as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

-

And so, Lauren Sinclair found herself following her usual path to work the next morning, purchasing her daily newspaper and reading the headlines just like she always did. Except no, it was _nothing_ like her usual morning, because unlike every other commute to work she’d ever taken, now she was preparing to ask a charming young street artist to grab coffee with her.

She wasn’t nervous to ask him per se, she’d be a pretty lousy detective if she were to pussyfoot around an issue rather than just bite the bullet, but she was still worried that she’d misread the signs somehow. Yes, he seemed to be interested in her, more interested than the other people he’d drawn in the past anyways, and yes they did seem to have this unspoken _thing_ going on between them since that fateful day, but she still didn’t really _know_ him. She didn’t know if he did this with all the girls who walked by him in the square or if this was a simple flirtation and nothing more to him. He might have even been like this with all of his ‘more elusive’ subjects, with his interest in her strictly for his craft. Their one conversation didn’t really give her much to go off of in that regard.

Perhaps it was her lack of experience with good men that had her a little paranoid. No matter how perfect they may have initially appeared, they’d all been rotten in the end. So now, as she was faced with a seemingly good man for the first time in years, there was a part of her that believed that this was all good to be true. That he was too good to be true.

Nevertheless she continued on her way, determined to see this through and shoot her shot no matter the potential consequences. Dylan was right, she needed to begin living again, and even if it didn’t work out it was at least a step in the right direction.

It was a beautiful morning; the sky was clear and blue, allowing the sun to shine bright and warm over Ardhalis. More people crowded around the square than usual, taking advantage of the warm weather and sunshine. Lauren had to squeeze her way around other pedestrians just to keep along her regular route. She began to wonder whether or not Kieran would be in his usual spot since the crowds would obscure his view from the bench.

Sure enough, as she made her way over to that now familiar bench, she found it to be conspicuously unoccupied. She halted in her tracks, eyes glued to the empty seat. It was odd for her to look down and not see Kieran sitting there, flashing her that grin that was equal parts cheeky and genuine. Disappointment began to rise inside her before she quickly quelled it and began to search, eyes darting around the square. He’d said himself that this was his preferred drawing spot. He was bound to be around there somewhere. She just had to look-.

“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for me, would you Detective?” A suave voice whispered from behind.

Lauren startled and spun around, suddenly caught in the gaze of two very blue and amused looking eyes.

Kieran White stood before her, all tall and broad, smirk smeared across his face, clothes much like the ones he usually wore, sans his usual tweed hat and thick coat. In the week since they’d last spoken she’d almost forgotten the timbre of his voice; low and smooth.

It took a second for her to recover before retorting, “I thought you may have been caught up in all this commotion. May have needed to file a missing persons report.”

That only made his grin widen, “I’m flattered that a detective of your calibre would take the time to search for a **poor lowly** artist such as myself.”

 _So he's not some starving artist_ , she realised, hearing the lie the moment it escaped his lips. She quickly compartmentalised this new information as something to think about later, a small detail within the wider truths he’d already told her. _Interesting though_.

“But that’s beside the point.” He continued, raising a finger up for emphasis. “We have business to discuss.”

“Business?” Lauren asked, not following.

His eyes widened in mock offense, “You didn’t forget about my assessment now did you Lauren?” He winced, pressing a hand to his chest, “You wound me.”

Right, his assessment. That had completely slipped her mind.

“And what exactly have you concluded about me now?” she asked, suddenly intrigued.

“That’s the thing,” He said dramatically, looking down and holding his chin as if in deep thought, “I’ve been puzzling over for you all week now Lauren Sinclair, but you’re an enigma. I simply cannot get a good idea for your character by just watching you walk by for a few seconds a day.”

She huffed a disbelieving laugh. _Was he serious?_ “That’s it? All that talk and you’re just gonna give up?”

His gaze turned back on her in an instant, eyes bright with mirth, “On the contrary, this has made me more determined than ever to figure you out. This is the first time I’ve been faced with this kind of situation, and that simply cannot stand.”

He took a step forward, not exactly coming into her space, but making his height and presence more profound. “Which is why, starting today, I think we should spend more time together.”

That was the last thing Lauren expected to hear.

“...More time together?” She asked tentatively.

“Yes,” Kieran smiled, regarding her shocked expression for a moment before continuing, sounding slightly off kilter now. “You know… maybe we could walk in the park after your shift and enjoy this lovely weather, or grab lunch on your break, or coffee or whatever else that works for you really.”

Lauren was still staring at him like he’d grown another head. All her previous reservations began to fade away and the realisation hit her.

“Just to be clear,” she said, “You want to go on a date with me?”

It was his turn to gawk at her now. “Well I’d actually hoped it would be more than just one date. I thought I’d made that rather obvious beforehand...” He began looking off to the side and running a hand through his hair.

 _He’s nervous_ , she realized, remembering that gesture from the day they met. _He’s nervous and unsure about this whole thing just like I was_.

“Look,” he muttered, finally meeting her eyes once more, “I’m sorry if I got the wrong impression from you about all of this. Believe me, my last intention was to make you feel uncomfortable or anything like that. Forget I ever said anything. I’ll go back to drawing and we can just be friends or whatever. **That’s fine with me**. I bet you’re also busy with work anywa-”

“I’d love to.” She interrupted before he could say anymore endearing lies.

That stopped his rambling right in its tracks, expression more dumbfounded than she’d ever seen it before.

“Really?” He asked, still sounding unsure, “Because if you really don’t want to I completely understand-”

“No I want to!” Lauren insisted, taking a frantic step toward him, “Actually I-” She sighed, feeling heat rise in her face, “I was actually going to ask you to go grab coffee today.”

A look of complete and utter awe spread across Kieran’s face as he gaped at her, blue eyes shining with indistinguishable emotion. The tense silence stretched on between them as he processed her words.

“You know,” She continued, trying and failing to make the situation less awkward, “This back and forth between us has been fun and… I thought maybe it’d be nice to do something together but I wasn’t really sure how you really felt and-”

“So what you’re saying,” He said, cutting off her rambling, expression completely serious, “Is that we’re both idiots.”

For a moment the silence continued but then the tension _snapped_. Next thing Lauren knew they were both laughing their heads off, doubled over and practically howling. They were attracting the stares of many of the other passersby, but Lauren couldn’t bring herself to care because all of this was just _ridiculous_.

It was some time later before she finally took a few deep breaths in an effort to regain her composure.

“I guess we are.” She breathed, still short of breath

Kieran finally suppressed the laughter, wiping some stray tears from under his eyes. He sighed, “And to think that our combined ‘analytical’ skills were useless in a situation like this.”

“Guess that’s something we’ll have to work on then.” She shrugged, “Let’s start today. How about we meet for coffee at that cafe near the 11th Precinct? My shift ends at five.”

His grin went from simple to sly in an instant before he took her hand, brought it to his lips and pressed a warm kiss on the back.

“It’s a date.” He murmured, his bright blue gaze as captivating as ever.

Lauren snorted, “How are you still able to put on this whole ‘charming’ act when just minutes ago you were all flustered and rambling?”

He gasped, smirk widening, “Oh _I’m_ the flustered one now? I wasn’t the one who turned red as a beet there Detective.”

She rolled her eyes, pulling her hand away, “As much as I would _love_ to continue debating with you about all this, I do have a job to get to.”

“Right,” He said, putting his hands into his pockets, “We’ll continue this later. Don’t forget about me now, you’ll wound my ego even more!”

“I would never,” She said before turning and walking away, waving over her shoulder. “See you at five!”

“See you at five Detective!” He called after her.

Lauren stopped once she rounded the corner and leaned back against the exposed red brick wall. A sigh of both disbelief and amusement escaped her lips. That hadn’t gone how she’d anticipated at all, but she almost prefered it that way. Kieran White proved to be more fascinating than she realized.

She snuck a quick glance around the corner before she could stop herself, watching as Kieran, completely unaware of her presence, raised both his hands above his head in triumph before collapsing into his bench, leaning his head back and covering his face with his hands.

A warm buzz spread through her chest and stomach, filling her with anticipation and delight.

 _Lord,_ She wondered, _what have I gotten myself into?_


	2. Alstroemeria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thought of her brought a small smile to his face. Had been bringing a smile to his face since the moment she’d rounded the corner. He’d gone to the square that morning confident that he’d sweep her off her feet, yet she’d been the one who’d thrown him for a loop. Very few people could fluster him like that. It was unbelievable.  
> She was unbelievable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a joke back when I began writing this chapter that I’d at least get it done before season 2 drops. Well... you exactly can’t say I lied now did I? (I’m currently posting this fic from my phone while I’m on a trip with my parents, that’s how dedicated I am)  
> Yeah this chapter fought me kicking and screaming for the past 2 ish months and gave me weeks long stretches of writers block that had me stressed on top of the word count ballooning out of my original estimates. But out of all that hardship you guys got a chapter that’s almost twice as long as the original!  
> Really hope it was worth the wait!

**Alstroemeria** : Also known as the Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas, this vibrant flower comes in an assortment of colours, ranging from reds and pinks to yellows and whites. Though each colour has its own unique meaning, they are universally considered a symbol of friendship, strength and devotion. Even their twisting leaves are thought to represent the strength of friendship and bonds even in the face of adversity. 

.

.

.

Kieran watched as the cafe began to slowly fill with workers from the 11th Precinct and surrounding businesses. They had already begun making their way over to get their afternoon fix of caffeine as early as 4:30, tired and stressed after spending their days cooped up in stuffy offices. It was just past 5 now, and Kieran was struck by the range of demeanors he’d witnessed in the short time he’d been seated, sketching them as discreetly as possible. Some entered with drooping shoulders and gaunt expressions, only showing any sort of happiness once a steaming mug of coffee was placed before them. Others walked in with wide smiles, as if the coffee was nothing more than an afterthought when compared to sitting and chatting with friends. The rest were mostly in the middle, a bit worn out but still fulfilled by the work they’d done that day.

He wondered what sort of expression Lauren would wear once she entered the cafe. 

The thought of her brought a small smile to his face. Had been bringing a smile to his face since the moment she’d rounded the corner. He’d gone to the square that morning confident that he’d sweep her off her feet, yet _she’d_ been the one who’d thrown him for a loop. Very few people could fluster him like that. It was unbelievable. _She_ was unbelievable. 

Unbelievable enough to have him show up to the cafe half an hour early. Call it eagerness, but Kieran wasn’t above admitting to himself that he was already smitten. He figured an opportunity like this only came once in a lifetime, so he’d do everything in his power to grasp it.

His musings were halted at the sight of familiar red hair entering through the door.

Lauren stood in the middle of the cafe, eyes darting around for a second before finally catching on his own. The smile that spread across her face in that moment made his stomach swoop a little. She quickly hurried over and sat in the seat across from him.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said once she settled in her seat across from him. “You weren’t waiting here for too long were you?” 

“Not really,” he shrugged, loath to give away just how keen he’d been to arrive early. “Besides, I enjoy looking around at the people. Remind me to visit cafes to sketch more often.”

The grin she gave him was nothing short of smug, like she could see right through his little fib.

When she finally spoke her voice was full of mirth. “Something tells me you’re lying about how long you’ve been here Sir, but I’m flattered nonetheless.”

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. _No wonder they promoted her,_ he thought, _she could sniff out lies like a bloodhound._

He chuckled and raised both his hands up in defeat, “Well well Detective, it seems that I’ve been caught red handed. I’ll remember not to lie to you next time, I swear.” 

“You better,” she grinned, reaching back to pull her hair out from her signature ponytail. It fell in crimson waves, framing her face beautifully. He thought that she should wear her hair out more often.

“You’re a smart guy,” she continued, not picking up on how distracted he’d become as she shook her hair out with her fingers, “I bet you’ll keep your word from now on. Otherwise…” she trailed off, golden eyes flashing up at him with a mix of warning and delight.

 _Oh,_ Kieran realised, _I am so screwed_.

He cleared his throat, “So, how was your day?” he began, allowing a smirk to return to his face, “I hope you were able to use that glare on actual criminals rather than innocent artists such as myself.”

“Not as much as I’d like to,” she sighed, looking off to the side and rubbing the back of her neck. “I’ve only been a detective for a few weeks so I haven’t gotten any _real_ cases yet. I’ve mostly been helping the more senior detectives with their ongoing cases. But I know I’m ready to take on a case of my own if they’d just let me.”

It was in that moment that Kieran realised just how tired she looked. In all the times he’d seen her in the morning she’d been bright and alert; eager to get to work and be a good cop, but now he could finally see the toll it had taken on her. She did a good job of hiding it, but he could see the way her shoulders sagged a little more than usual. The way her eyes were just slightly dimmer.

At that moment the waitress came and asked if they were ready to be served. Once she jotted down their orders she turned and went back to the counter.

“I know I must sound ungrateful,” she continued, finally looking back up at him, “But I’m not. I couldn’t be more happy to be in this position. But I worked so hard to get here and now it feels like it hasn’t paid off yet. I just wish that I could prove to them that I’m worth it, you know?”

“No I get it.” he responded, giving her a reassuring smile, “It’s understandable for you to feel that way. But they wouldn’t have given you this job if they didn’t think you could do it well. Even I can see that you’d be an amazing detective. Your time will come soon, I’m sure of it.”

Lauren stared at him for a moment, clearly taken aback at his words, before turning her eyes down towards the table. A small, bashful smile had spread across her face by the time she returned her gaze to him. 

“Thanks,” she said, tucking a wayward lock of hair behind her ear. There were few things he wouldn’t do to see her smile at him like that again.

Their conversation remained light in the moments that followed, with their coffee arriving just a few minutes later. The look on Lauren’s face after she took her first sip, a blend of pure relief and happiness, had Kieran itching to sketch her, but he restrained himself. He’d hopefully have plenty more opportunities to capture that expression.

They continued on chatting about mundane subjects like their days or the weather. Kieran was surprised at just how engaging the conversation was. He was hanging off of every one of her words, lapping up every detail she gave to him about her time in the precinct, and she seemed equally as enthralled at his descriptions of his various art subjects. It was nice to actually have someone be genuinely interested in his work for once.

He was just in the middle of telling her about the Womanizer, a sleazy man he’d see passing by his apartment with a different woman on his arm almost every week. Lauren scoffed at the more dramatic embellishments he added in, clearly not believing any of them but still enjoying the story nonetheless. 

She rolled her eyes when he brought up the time that one of the man’s previous conquests confronted him one night. He was just about to get to the best part when her gaze caught and held on something outside the window behind him. In that instant her expression went from lighthearted to anxious. Tension spread through her shoulders and she seemed to shrink into her seat.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, turning in his seat to see.

“Don’t look!” she snapped, halting him in an instant.

“But I-”

“Don’t!” 

Kieran conceded, making sure to keep his eyes squarely on her tense figure. He’d certainly never seen _this_ side of her before, slouched into her seat, practically hiding behind his figure. Her eyes kept darting back to the window, tracking whatever had her so uneasy. This was completely unlike the Lauren he’d come to observe. He would’ve laughed at the dichotomy if she hadn’t looked so distressed.

“I should have known this would happen,” she murmured, more to herself than anything. “Why didn’t I think of this?” 

She continued on like that for another moment, gaze shifting and following… whoever it was. It was clearly a person, he realised. He could tell that they were almost out of her line of sight. Seizing his opportunity, he turned and managed to see the tail end of a person walking by dressed in a patrol uniform.

_Oh_

Self-consciousness prickled across his skin like an itch, yet another rare reaction brought out by Lauren. He felt it settle heavy in his gut just as she began to relax, letting out a sigh.

“Sorry,” she said, keeping her eyes on the window as if her colleague could return at any moment. “That was weird I know-”

“Are you-” he interrupted, looking down at his mug, “Are you… _embarrassed_ about being seen with me by one of your co-workers?”

He saw her stiffen in his peripheral vision as she processed his question. Saw the way she gaped for an instant before her hand shot across the table to grasp his own.

“No, of course not,” she insisted, eyes pleading once he finally looked back up at her. “God I’m so sorry that I- no,” she closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts for a moment before continuing, “I fully understand why you got that impression and I can’t apologise enough for making you feel that way.”

She seemed to notice at that moment that she was still holding his hand, but rather than pull away, her grip only tightened, its warmth helping to ease his body and mind.

“It’s dumb really,” she said with a reserved yet determined expression, “But my friends from the precinct have been joking that I’d marry my job if I could for _years_. I hear it practically every day. They’re relentless. The second they hear I’m actually _seeing_ someone they won’t let up. It’ll be all they talk about for weeks. Nothing but constant pestering and teasing, and…” she trailed off for a moment, cheeks reddening. “And I wanna be able to see wherever this goes without them butting in; to enjoy having this to myself for just a little longer.”

Kieran let out a breath, and with it all the uneasiness left his body, being replaced instead with endearment. She looked so distressed at his reaction, and it was that genuine concern at the thought of hurting him that had him offering her a small smile.

“Alright,” he said, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, “I think I get it. This is all pretty new to me too, believe it or not. I want us to get to know each other on our own terms, not anyone else’s. Let’s use this time to figure this out together.”

Lauren nodded, gratitude and relief in her tone and her eyes, “Alright, and thanks for understanding.” 

She glanced down at their joint hands once more, as if debating whether to pull away.

She didn’t

-

“Good morning Detective Sinclair. What a pleasant surprise seeing you today!”

Lauren smiled at the secretary, happy that she’d decided to pop in on the Patrol Unit before work officially started. “Morning Lila. How was your weekend?”

Lila grinned, “Same old same old. What about you? Did anything interesting?”

The knowing tone of her voice made Lauren pause for a moment before responding, “Uh… no. Why?”

Before she could say more an arm slung around her shoulders, throwing her off balance.

“Ah Lauren! Just the person we wanted to see!” Kym practically hollered into her ear. Looking up, her vision had suddenly been filled by Kym’s expressive face. However, her usually cheeky grin had been replaced with an almost comically serious scowl.

“Kym, what’s going on?” Lauren asked, glancing around the room at the rest of the Patrol Unit. Will stood nearby, looking both intrigued and exhausted over Kym’s theatrics, while Harvey was trying and failing to act like he wasn’t paying any attention to them. The only person who was completely detached from the situation was Grumpy Cat, who appeared to be his usual irritable self and ignored everyone.

“We should be asking you the same question!” Kym cried, tightening the arm draped around Lauren’s shoulders. “You have some explaining to do, young lady!”

Lauren twisted out of Kym’s grip to face her, “What the hell are you even talking about!?” 

“We are talking,” Kym started, “About the fact that you’ve been going out with someone for _weeks_ and didn’t even tell us!”

 _Shit_. That was the last thing Lauren expected her to say. She thought that maybe Kym had discovered that _she’d_ been the one who’d taken the last cookie in the break room and not Will or something stupid like that. But not this.

She wasn’t ready to talk about _this_.

But it was too late now.

“And before you try to deny anything,” Kym continued, pointing an accusatory finger at Lauren, “We’ve got visual confirmation that Grumpy Cat saw you and your new beau being all lovey dovey this weekend!”

All eyes shifted over to Lukas as he went about preparing for the work day as normal. He kept his eyes on his paperwork, not appearing to have heard his name being brought up. However, after a moment of silence he leveled his bored gaze to the rest of the group.

“They were talking about how they haven’t seen you around much recently. I assumed they knew, given that you three are usually attached at the hip. They deduced the rest from there. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get my coffee before I do something I regret.”

And with that, Lukas Randall left for the breakroom, carrying his perpetual stormcloud with him.

 _Traitor_ , Lauren thought.

“You _would_ think that as your best friends, you’d tell us about this stuff wouldn’t you?” Kym asked, tone spiteful. Only Lauren could hear the slightest bit of hurt beneath it all. 

Will stepped forward, “Obviously it’s your business and you’re not required to tell us anything,” he started, directing his words towards Kym more than anything before turning his blue gaze back to Lauren, “But we just wanted to make sure you were ok, you know?” 

He stopped and gave Kym an encouraging glare, egging her on to speak. A non-verbal argument commenced between the two, full of wild expressions and intense stare offs that was a hallmark of their relationship. 

Eventually Kym conceded with a sigh, “Look, ever since you were promoted we haven’t been able to see you as much. You’re probably bonding with the other detectives and stuff and have new responsibilities, but now we don’t see you anymore. And then you’re not telling us about stuff like this and we can’t help but feel a little… hurt.”

Lauren didn’t need her ability to hear that neither of them were lying. Their sincerity was blatant. This was going even worse than she could have ever imagined. She’d selfishly been focusing on herself without thinking of the toll it would take on them. These were some of the best friends she had, some of the _few_ friends she had, and she’d been neglecting them, caught up instead with her new position and new relationship. 

“Guys I’m so sorry.” she said, taking a step towards them. “I didn’t mean to lie to you guys or avoid you or anything. The last thing I wanted to do was make you feel like I was leaving you behind,” she placed her hands on Kym and Will’s shoulders, squeezing them for reassurance. “Between work and everything,I guess I’ve just been caught up in it all.”

She continued to plead to them with her eyes before Kym spoke up.

“But why didn’t you tell us before? I mean, yeah you were pretty much a stranger most days, but you’d think something as big as beginning to see someone would come up.”

Both Lauren and Will levelled a flat glare at her. Even Lila and Harvey stopped what they were pretending to do and raised questioning eyebrows at her.

Kym looked around at them, “What?”

“You did just announce that I’m seeing someone to the entire Unit.” Lauren pointed out, “Pretty sure the rest of the precinct will know by the end of the day. The biggest running joke here is that I don’t date. Do you really think that I wanted to have all of you sticking your noses into my relationship and constantly teasing me about it while it was still fresh?”

Kym opened her mouth to retort, but after nothing came out she folded her arms in defeat.

“Ok, you’ve got a point there.” she grumbled, looking anywhere but their eyes.

“Great, glad you all understand my perspective.” Lauren said.

A coy grin spread across Kym’s face, “And now that all of that stuff is out of the way…”

Hands were suddenly grasping at Lauren’s shoulders.

“You’re gonna tell us about him now aren’t you?” Kym asked with delight, then stopped abruptly, “Wait it is a _he_ though right? Grumpy Cat is always so vague about the things that matter.” 

Lauren rolled her eyes, happy to see Kym back to her usual self, “Yes he’s a guy. His name’s Kieran.”

It felt strange to say his name to someone else after weeks of keeping quiet.

“Well we’ve still got some time before we’re on the job,” Will said after a quick glance at the clock, “Tell us all about the superhuman man that finally got the indomitable Lauren Sinclair to go out with him.”

And so with a roll of her eyes and little flourish she told them everything: Their first meeting. Kieran’s bet about figuring her out with just a glance. The fumbling once they realised it became more than just a bet. Their first date at the cafe and the others that followed. Despite her new found love-life, Lauren was still a workaholic through and through. Sure she’d stop and chat with him for a couple precious moments on her way to work, but there were few times that she could actually go out with him. When they did eventually find the time they kept it simple; meeting at restaurants for lunch or taking long walks around the city. Lukas must have spotted them during their stroll along the river as they enjoyed the warm summer breeze hand in hand.

She had been so apprehensive to bring up anything about Kieran before. Part of her wanted to keep him all to herself, to allow whatever was blooming between them to remain unhindered by the rest of the world. But a bigger part of her enjoyed talking to her friends about him. She could finally tell someone about the way his eyes lit up whenever he talked about his work, or the way he bit his lip while he concentrated on a sketch. How he could render a person’s likeness with just a few strokes of his pencil, then agonise over it for hours despite its perfection. How the banter between them which could go on for hours without getting old, or the way he could pair intentionally bad pick-up lines with smooth sincerity in a way that never failed to get a rise out of her. How, over the span of a handful of weeks, he’d made her feel happier than she’d felt in years. 

Once Lauren finished she felt lighter than air, euphoric at the memory of him and their time together, struck by just how close they’d grown and relieved that she could finally share it. 

Will was the first to speak up, “Wow Lauen, sounds like you really like this guy. I’m really happy for-”

“All right!” Kym interrupted, practically shoving Will out of the way and into the wall, “We need to meet this man and make sure he’s not some sort of fever dream or something because all of this sounds _way_ too good to be true!”

Lauren, caught off guard for a second, eventually nodded, “I mean sure, I guess we could try to figure something out over the next couple of weeks.”

The smirk Kym flashed her was nothing short of wicked, “Oh no missy, you can’t keep him from us any longer! We’ve already got to make up for lost time! But how?” she stopped for a moment, agonising in her head as if this were the most important decision of her life, “I’ve got it! How about we all go grab drinks after work on Friday? Keep it nice and casual, you know?”

A grumbling Will stepped forward, clearly done with Kym’s antics. 

“Lauren you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” he said reassuringly, “Don’t feel pressured to introduce us if you don’t want to yet. We’ll be respectful.” He glared at Kym once more, earning him a childish pout. 

“No it’s fine,” Lauren said, attempting to sound nonchalant. “Friday should be fine. I’ll obviously have to clear it with him but it should be alright.”

Kym practically tackled her with a hug, jumping and squealing about how excited she was while Will tried to calm her down. But in the middle of it all, Lauren was still and silent as it dawned on her just what she’d gotten herself into.

-

“Are you alright?” Kieran asked as they made their way across the city toward the bar.

Lauren glanced up at him, the yellow glow of the street lamps making her hair and eyes blaze as bright as ever, “Of course I am. Why do you ask?”

Kieran shrugged, noting her defensive tone. “It’s just that wherever we go out you’re not usually so… tense.”

She sighed and faced forward, “Look I’m happy you guys can finally meet each other. I want you to get along. I just hope you know what you’re in for.”

Lauren had been talking like that from the moment she’d told him about their upcoming drinking night with her coworkers. He’d been surprised when she’d brought it up, excited that he could finally meet some of the most important people in her life, and just a little giddy that their relationship had progressed enough to reach this point despite the circumstances. Through it all Lauren never once seemed upset about the impromptu gathering, just a little off kilter.

“Are you worried we won’t get along?” Kieran asked.

“Not at all, if anything I think you’ll bond _too_ quickly,” she huffed, “It’s just that my friends can be a bit… much. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that my lack of a love life is one of the longest running jokes in the precinct, so I’m expecting a lot of comments at my expense tonight.” 

She stopped them in front of one of the many pubs which surrounded the 11th Precinct, looking up into his eyes once more.

“And I hope you’re ready for all of the scrutiny you’ll be under.”

A little laugh escaped his lips as he took in the serious glare she leveled him. This was yet another new expression of Lauren’s he could get used to seeing: a mix of apprehensiveness and knowing that felt incredibly charming.

“Oh please darling, I’ve been under scrutiny my whole life. I’m sure I can handle one night out with your friends.” he said before reaching out and opening the door for her. 

The bar itself seemed pretty run of the mill. The wooden paneling on the walls matched the stool-lined bar to the left, worn and chipped over many years of ware and tare. Several tables were scattered around as well, each of them occupied with other patrons, likely other workers from the precinct. He didn’t have much time to take in the rest of the scenery before a shrill screech cut through the air. 

“Oh my god they’re here!”

The source of the sound became immediately apparent when a rather eccentric looking woman stood up and began flailing her arms around to get their attention.

“Lauren get your ass over here! We’ve been waiting on you guys for ages!”

He sent a questioning glance to Lauren, but she was already making her way towards her friends’ table, though not without flashing him a look that just screamed: ‘I warned you’.

Kieran quickly followed her suit, ending up at her side by a large rectangular table. Before them sat about half a dozen men and women who immediately turned their attention to him, scanning him from head to toe, save one severe looking man who continued to nurse his drink.

“Everyone this is Kieran,” Lauren said, gesturing to him before turning and waving her hand toward the table, “Kieran, these are my friends from work.”

“Nice to finally meet all of you all.” Kieran said, making sure he made eye contact with each and every one of them before taking his seat at Lauren’s side.

The excited woman, who now sat to his left, spoke up once more, “Oh so you’ve heard about us for some time, have you? How about that.” 

The scathing look she leveled at Lauren was nothing short of scathing. He was sure Lauren was returning it in kind beside him.

“Well we’ve only recently begun to hear about you Kieran,” the woman said in an exaggerated yet serious tone, “Word on the street is that you’re really good at reading people, just like our dear friend Detective Sinclair over here. So if you know so much about us Mister _artiste_ , won’t you care to demonstrate?”

Kieran stilled for a moment, then offered Lauren a questioning raise of his eyebrow. The glint of challenge in her eyes was more than enough incentive to continue like she was daring him to show off, to prove himself to them in the way she knew he could.

In the end he simply hummed, “Why not?” 

Kieran took his time looking around the table, making sure to take in all he could about them; their faces, their posture, anything he could use to figure them out. Then he cleared his throat and began to work his magic.

“Well you’re clearly Kym, since you’re the most energetic woman at this table,” he began, looking into her delighted hazel eyes before moving on to the blond man who sat beside her, “And I’m pretty sure you’re William, judging by how unimpressed you looked with her antics earlier.” 

William’s eyebrows shot up but not before he received an elbow to the ribs courtesy of Kym.

He turned his gaze onto the woman at William’s side, “Hmm, brown hair? Glasses? Pleasant demeanor? You must be Lila, the secretary.” he continued, spotting the blush that began to creep up her freckled face before moving on. “Next to you is Lukas, aka Grumpy Cat, which I think is pretty obvious and doesn’t really warrant further explaining.”

The man in question offered him an apathetic glance before taking another gulp of his drink. 

“And I suppose that leaves Harvey, one of the nicest officers in the entire precinct.” 

The young officer shrugged, scratching the back of his head, “Oh I don’t know about that…” he muttered, averting his gaze bashfully.

“Oh shut up Harvey there’s no point in lying to this guy.” Kym said with a wave of her hand which then moved into a clap, “Well done Kieran! You’re almost as good as Lauren. I guess you guys really are a match made in heaven.” 

Then she sprung out of her seat and stood before him, a hand grasping on his shoulder. Other patrons began to stare at her, but Kym either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“Kym what are you-?” 

“Hush Lauren!” Kym snapped before turning back to him, “Kieran, you have proven your mettle and thus, have been deemed a worthy match for our beloved Lauren.” Kym announced with all the melodrama of a stage actor, “May you continue to defy the laws of the universe by maintaining her affections.”

Kieran blinked up at her, then Lauren, who looked just about as unamused as he’d expected, before responding.

“Uh… Thank you?”

“You are most certainly welcome, good sir!” she turned to the rest of the table with arms spread wide, “We must celebrate this man and his historic moment! And since we’re mostly here, let’s do some watermelon vodka shots!” and with that she was off to the bar, dragging an arguing Will in tow. 

Kieran sat in silent shock, still taken aback by all the dramatics. Sure he’d been warned, but he clearly hadn’t been prepared for Kym Ladell. However once he arrived at that conclusion, a new question emerged in his head.

“Mostly here?” Kieran asked, looking around the table once more and realising that the seat beside Lauren was empty. “Are we expecting anyone else?”

The screech of a chair being pulled along the hardwood floor interrupted any attempts at an answer.

“Sorry I’m late,” The newcomer said, taking his seat beside Lauren, “I didn’t miss much did I?”

“Dylan!” Lauren grinned, giving him a quick but firm hug before pulling back. “What are you doing here? I thought most Friday nights had you stuck at the hospital.”

He leaned back into his chair and sighed, “Talked to the hospital and managed to get the night off. This weekend’s gonna be hell, but when Kym called and told me about tonight I knew it would be worth it.”

Kieran was suddenly met with the man’s grey gaze. Even if he hadn’t heard his name, the way he and Lauren spoke made it obvious who he was: Dylan Rosenthal. One of Lauren’s closest friends. The person he was most nervous about meeting besides her family. Dylan practically _was_ family from what he’d been told. He was certainly _not_ prepared for this.

“Oh right,” Lauren said as she turned to face him once more, “Kieran this is Dylan, one of my oldest friends. Dylan, this is Kieran.”

Despite the sudden surge of anxiety, Kieran reached out and shook Dylan’s hand, grasping it in a firm grip.

“Lauren’s told me a lot about you.” he said once he’d released his grip, “I’m looking forward to getting to know you and everyone else tonight.”

Dylan began to say something but was cut off by Kym as she returned triumphant to the table with a tray full of shots.

“Dylan! You’re lucky I saw you walk in or else you would have missed out on these bad boys!” she grinned, distributing each little glass around the table.

Dylan looked down at his own with a smirk, “I’m just happy to spend a night getting drinks with friends for once. Meeting the guy Lauren’s been gushing about for weeks is just a perk.”

Kym eyes widened, “Wait, you’ve been hearing about her new man for _weeks_!?”

“Oh God,” Lauren muttered before unceremoniously knocking back her shot.

-

Kieran couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent so much time with people his age. Most of his childhood friends had grown into the snooty and self-important types he’d come to loathe, and the ones that hadn’t were either incredibly busy or lived abroad. The few meetings he’d had with them in recent years had been small, quiet affairs.

Nothing at all like this.

“C’mon Willame! I thought you said you’d be able to keep up!”

“Dammit Ladell, you’re just trying to get me plastered!”

Kym gasped, “Me? Try to take advantage of a bet? Never.”

Harvey leaned in towards them, “Guys, you don’t have to do this every time-”

“Oh shut up Harvey!” Kym slurred, waving her empty shot glass in his face, “Just because you of all people have a magical liver doesn’t mean you’ve gotta keep everyone else sober too!”

Kieran turned to Lauren, keeping his eyes on the scene before him, “Are they always like this?”

She nodded, grinning as Kym and Will began to chug their beers, “It’s a tradition.”

Will gasped and slammed his empty glass down, “Ha! I finished mine first! I get to call a break!”

“Alright! So that’s two beers and two shots each with advantage to Will!” Lila announced, tallying their scores on a napkin. 

“Ughhh you’re so boring,” Kym whined once she finished her own drink, “But I guess we can use this time effectively.” 

She turned her attention squarely on Kieran now, “So we’ve all heard the dramatic retelling of how this,” she gestured between him and Lauren, “Became a thing, but now I need to know exactly what tricks you used on her.”

“Tricks?” he asked.

“Yeah, like when you began to talk to her did you bat those pretty eyes at her or was it just the talk alone that had her swooning?”

“Kym please stop,” Lauren groaned.

“What? I’ve got to know the secret!” Kym giggled, “I mean sure he looks like a marble statue and has been a pretty cool guy to talk to so far, but that can’t be all it took. What’s your secret Lauren magnet?”

Kieran was beginning to realize that a slightly tipsy Kym was even more bold than before. 

He stopped to ponder her question, unsure of how to answer, then responded, “To be honest I’m not sure what exactly I did. I just... went up to her. I was sure I was making a fool of myself at first but once we began talking it felt easy you know?”

Lauren, who’d been practically inhaling her second gin and tonic for the night, stopped and gaped at him for a moment, seemingly struck speechless by his admission.

“Yeah,” she said with a sparkle in her eye, “Yeah that’s exactly how it felt.”

“You two are just adorable!” Kym gushed, “I can practically hear the wedding bells already!”

Lauren choked on her drink, drops falling from her mouth and onto the table, “Kym what the hell!?” 

“What? From what I can tell you’ve both got it bad! I wouldn’t be surprised! And you!” she spun around and pointed at Will, “Break time’s almost over! Gimme some cash! It’s your turn to get drinks now!”

Once she got the money from Will she turned to Kieran, “What drink do you want? Will’s paying of course so feel free to splurge.”

“An old fashioned please,” he said, making sure to hand Kym some of his own money.

Kym eyed the cash before grinning at him, “Well well Mister Kieran, I see that not only do you have impeccable taste in both women and drinks, but you’re a gentleman as well,” then she turned to Lauren and in an exaggerated whisper, declared: “We’re keeping him.”

Once she finished getting everyone else’s orders and left for the bar, Will turned to him, “Sorry for her behaviour. Kym doesn’t know anything about boundaries or when to keep her mouth shut. And you didn't have to give your own money. I would’ve been fine with paying.”

“It’s no problem really. I don’t want to impose on anyone.” Kieran assures him, “As for Kym you don’t have to worry. I was told to prepare for an interrogation after all,” he gave Lauren a smirk, warning him a smug grin as she finished her drink, before continuing, “While I’ll admit that I wasn’t prepared for her in all her glory, hanging out with you guys has actually been pretty great so far.”

The smile Will offered him brimmed with respect as he lifted his glass of water for a cheers, to which Kieran happily obliged.

“Well we’re happy to get to know you too!” Lila said, “It’s so rare for all of us to meet any new friends outside the office. It’s nice, right Lukas?”

The man in question looked up from his whiskey and into Lila’s eyes. There seemed to be an unspoken conversation going on between them, with Lila looking very insistent and Lukas showing no emotion whatsoever. Finally he seemed to give in because he turned to face Kieran. 

“It’s better than being surrounded by the rest of these idiots. Plus I’ll never turn down some free liquor.”

That was all he said before he returned to his brooding, although Lila acted as if she’d just won a massive victory. 

Kieran began to wonder what was going on between the two of them but was interrupted by Kym’s return to the table.

“Alright so we’ve got the old fashioned for the man of the hour, beers for me, Willame and Harvey, pinot grigio for Lila, plain ass whiskey for Grumpy Cat, a scotch and soda for Dylan and another G and T for Lauren!” 

Lauren grasped at her new drink, immediately gulping it through the black straw. At least a third of it had already been downed by the time Kym was back in her seat. 

“Maybe you should take it a little easier Ren,” Dylan noted, “You know how you get after three drinks.”

“No I don’t know,” She huffed.

Harvey piped up with a knowing smile, “Lauren we _all_ know how you are. After three drinks you get…” he trailed off.

“Wasted?” Kym offered.

Harvey nodded, “Sure, you get wasted. Not to mention those shots from before already have you on your way.”

“You guys are exaggerating,” Lauren insististed, “I am no different after three drinks”

“Yeah, and I won’t beat Will for the third night in a row.” Kym said sarcastically, “Oh wait that was a lie! And you know it was a lie because you’ve got magical lie detecting ears that can hear all the _bullshit_ you just spewed! And speaking of my upcoming victory,” she snatched up her beer glass, “Break time’s over Willame! Eat my dust!”

“Goddammit Kym you cheated!” He shouted before quickly following her suit and chugging his drink. 

The table cheered them on, goading the pair of them to drink more. Kieran was in the middle of yelling at Will to drink faster when Lauren leaned towards him. 

“Don’t listen to what they’re saying,” she said confidently, “This whole thing about me and three drinks is ridiculous.”

-

It turned out that the whole ‘Lauren after three drinks’ thing _was_ ridiculous, mainly due to her being completely and utterly trashed mere seconds after downing the last of her drink.

“Kieran I don’t know if I’ve told you this before,” Lauren whispered into his ear, “But you're the best.”

“Ok Lauren,” he said while trying to steady her in her seat.

She’d begun talking like this mere minutes after finishing her drink, with a ruddy flush spread across her face and a glazed gleam in her eyes. Part of him preened at her admissions, but he couldn’t help but feel some secondhand embarrassment for her. He doubted she’d be so free with her compliments had she been sober. 

“I’m serious!” She insisted, “Most men? Trash. You? Like… the opposite of trash!”

Lauren continued to try to lean on him to the point where Kieran conceded and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder.

The look Kym offered him was both entertained and sympathetic, “Looks like you’ve got front row seats to drunk Lauren. Treasure this moment Kieran, one can go years without witnessing it in its full glory.”

“Judging by how quickly she drank and the shots that she took, I’d guess she’s still got a way to go before she begins to sober up.” Will said seriously.

Kym gasped with her hand to her chest, “An astute observation Lieutenant! I guess you don’t get to that rank just by being a goody two shoes after all!”

Will barely acknowledged her comments, attention completely focused on Lauren, “What I mean is that we should get her home before she gets any worse. She’d hate to be in public like this.”

Kieran shifted to better support Lauren while he stood from his seat, “I’ll take her home then. You guys stay and enjoy the rest of the evening.” 

“Are you sure?” Lila asked, concern steeped in her tone, “We could all go with you if you want. After all we _did_ come out to hang out with you.”

He shook his head, “No it’s fine guys really. I don’t think she’d want all of you to cut your night short because of her. Besides I’ve already had a great night getting to know you all.” 

It was true, Kieran realised. Somewhere between all the drinks and the antics and the idle chit chat, he’d had fun. He enjoyed the dynamic between them. Sure their personalities may have varied wildly, but they meshed in the way that people who really knew and understood one another just _did_. They each had their quirks and mannerisms, yet they complemented one another in a way he’d never experienced before. 

Kym’s fiery personality, bright like the sun, constantly clashed with Will’s cool level-headedness. Their dynamic was chaotic and complex, steeped in rivalry, and yet there was a genuine care for one another that ran below the surface. Lila’s sweet and bubbly personality could brighten everyone’s mood at the table without any effort. Harvey had a good nature and desire to impress, but beneath it all laid a deep conviction that Kieran respected. Even Lukas became a bit less gloomy once he had a few whiskeys in him. In turn they’d gotten to know a little about him as well, asking about his life and his work with the same genuine interest that Lauren had, welcoming him into their little group with open arms.

It was nice.

“Alright we’ll leave it to you then!” Kym smiled, “Shame you’ll miss my victory. Hopefully next time she’ll be a little more sober and you’ll be able to stick around to witness it for yourself.”

“Hopefully,” Kieran agreed, “Hey do you mind giving me Lauren’s address?”

“I can take you,” Dylan interrupted, standing up from his chair and brushing his pants off. “I was planning on leaving early anyways. Don’t wanna be out too late with work tomorrow and all that. I live past Lauren’s house anyways so it’s no hassle at all.”

Kieran allowed himself to meet Dylan’s eyes. Of all the people he’d met tonight, Dylan was the one he had the weakest grasp on. Yes they’d chatted and Dylan still spoke to the others around the table, but there was a reservedness to him, a feeling that he’d been holding back. And now they’d be walking practically alone together without the rest of the group to fill in the silence.

Eventually Kieran nodded, “Yeah sure.” 

After saying their goodbyes to the others and promising to do it again sometime, both men made their way to the door with an unsteady Lauren in tow. 

“You’ve got her ok?” Dylan asked, holding the door open for them.

“Yeah I’m fine,” he responded, guiding Lauren out of the bar with a secure arm around her waist.

The streets of Ardhalis were far less crowded than they were in the day. Yes, others were milling about the bars and dance halls, coming out to enjoy a Friday night on the town, but for the most part the city was deserted. The streetlamps filled the dark, moonless night with a golden glow that, combined with the warm summer night, made for a comfortable atmosphere. Or at least it would have, had the silence between the two men not brimmed with tension.

It was Lauren who eventually shattered the quiet. 

“Tired,” she murmured, now less sure on her feet than she’d been mere minutes before.

“I can carry you if you want,” Kieran began, moving to scoop her up. Her hands flew up to shove him away with a strength he didn't realise she still possessed.

“No not like that!” she said as if that were the most obvious thing in the world, “On your back.”

That was all the warning Kieran got before she jumped up onto his back, slinking her legs around his waist and wrapping her arms around his neck. He stumbled back a little at the unexpected weight but adjusted quickly, wrapping his hands beneath her knees to better stabilize her.

“All good?” he asked once they’d settled into a comfortable position.

Her response was little more than a short hum into the crook of his neck as she rested her head on his left shoulder, and her breathing evening out soon after.

A chuckle bubbled up from Dylan’s lips, “That’s Ren for you. Never one to feel like a damsel, even when being carried home.”

Kieran huffed, beginning to walk once more, “So I guess you’ve been in this position before?”

“Many times,” Dylan grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets, “Although not so often recently.” 

He paused for a moment, apparently lost in thought, then continued, “I know she probably told you the basics of our friendship,” Dylan began, eyes facing forward, “How my dad worked for her family and that we were practically raised together and all that, but I don’t know if you realise the full scope of it. Sure the Sinclairs never treated us as anything less than family, and still insist that I come by at least one every couple weeks for dinner, but I’d always known me and my dad were... lower on the social ladder than them. Ren never once made me feel like I was beneath her though. She didn’t care that I was poor and she was rich. I was her friend and that’s all that mattered.” 

Kieran could see it, the gleam in Dylan’s eyes as he was transported back to his childhood. “Most people expected me to become a gardener like my dad. She was one of the first people to support me when I decided to be a doctor. I’ll never forget the day I told her. She insisted that she’d become a cop and I’d become a doctor, and that we’d help people together.” 

The smile that spread across his face brimmed with nostalgia. Kieran could just picture it: a young Lauren and Dylan playing around in the yard, talking about their dreams and all the things they’d do once they were older, vowing to support each other. 

Dylan sighed, “I guess what I’m trying to tell you is that she means a lot more to me than just a friend.” 

A shock spread through Kieran’s whole being at his words, halting him in his tracks. _Did he just hear that right?_ It must have reflected on his face too, because Dylan began cracking up. 

“Oh God not like that!” he cried, his delighted laughter ringing through the deserted streets, “Your eyebrows looked like they were gonna shoot right off your face!” he continued laughing like that for a few more seconds before sighing, “Rest assured, I don’t feel that way about Lauren.”

“Did you ever feel that way though? For her?”

It had been a question he himself had pondered on more than one occasion. They’d been close their entire lives after all. It was only natural for feelings to come about, right? He supposed that now was as good a time as any to finally get his answer.

Dylan pondered for a few more steps, scratching his fingers through his pale hair, “Maybe when we were kids? I mean she was my best friend, the prettiest girl I knew and brighter than anyone else our age.” he turned a corner to the left, leading them to a more residential area of the city. “I won’t lie and say I wasn’t a little smitten for a few years there. Maybe something could have grown from it, but I think I prefer it this way.” Kieran regarded him but Dylan’s mind seemed to be elsewhere, eyes studying the houses that had begun to emerge along their path, “The years began passing by, and I realized that she and I just weren’t meant for all that. Ren’s a constant, steadying presence in my life; family by choice, not blood. We don’t need to be in love to prove that. She would do anything for me and I’d do the same for her because at the end of the day, we know that we can count on each other no matter what.” 

His face showed indistinguishable emotion, speaking with a level of resolve and certainty that astonished Kieran. Whatever conversation he’d been expecting to have with Lauren’s best friend, this certainly wasn’t it. 

Dylan continued along the sidewalk, glancing for a moment at Lauren’s limp figure on his back, “I also know her well enough to know that she’s been far happier since you came into her life.” 

Their eyes met: silvery grey and turquoise blue. He elaborated: “I could see it the moment she told me about you Kieran, in the handful of times I’d seen her since then, even tonight. Despite all the havoc and stress, I could see that you being there and meeting everyone made her happy, though I think all of the teasing is what led her to get to this point.” he gestured to Lauren once more, “And I see how you are with her too. She’s been so caught up in her job that everything else in her life’s begun to slip, and the scumbags she’d dated before had her less than keen to begin dating again, but you’re different. You respect her but don’t let her walk all over you. Because of you she’s finally beginning to live again, so no matter what happens in the future, I’m glad she met you.”

Words evaded Kieran for what felt like hours, leaving him unable to come up with a worthy response to such high praise. _How the hell do you even begin to respond to someone when they say something like that?_ Kieran wondered.

“It’s the same for me too I think,” he settled on eventually, making sure to meet Dylan’s eyes once more, “Being with her and spending the night with all of you made me realize that I haven’t exactly had..” He stopped, feeling embarrassment twist in his gut before pressing on, “I haven’t exactly had friends to spend time with as of late. They’ve been off living their own lives while I’ve stayed in the city and focused on my work, but ever since I met Lauren it’s like I’ve been realizing just how much I’d been missing out on as well.” he chuckled, looking up at the starless city sky, “It’s all pretty ironic actually. I pride myself on being able to read others with just a glance, yet it took someone else entering into my life for me to better understand myself.”

It was astonishing how things couldn’t click for people until they spoke them aloud, yet there Kieran was, finally processing everything that had changed for him in the past couple of weeks in just a few short sentences. It felt a little like relief, a weight off his shoulders.

A hand came down to rest on his shoulder, “You seem like a good man Kieran,” Dylan smiled, genuine and true, “Take care of her.”

“I will.” Kieran said solemnly.

The rest of their journey was spent in comfortable silence, accompanied by nothing but the sounds of their steps on the pavement. Then Dylan stopped them before a large estate of manicured hedges and an equally as impressive house. It reminded Kieran so much of his own childhood home. He hadn’t visited in years, he realised as he studied the intricate woodwork which adorned it’s walls. 

“You should take her from here,” Kieran decided, loosening his grip and allowing Lauren to gently slide down his back and onto her feet, “You already know her family, plus I don’t think Lauren’s quite ready for them to meet me yet, especially if she’s like this.”

Dylan nodded, moving to secure one of her arms around his shoulder while snaking one of his around her waist. Once she was secure Dylan looked back up at him.

“You take care Kieran,” he said, extending his free hand, “I hope we can meet up again sometime soon.”

“I look forward to it,” he agreed, grasping it in a firm shake.

Kieran watched as Dylan stumbled along with a half-conscious Lauren in tow, making their way up the stairs to the front door. A nameless silhouette opened it for them, and then they were inside, door shutting behind them.

The walk back to his apartment was spent pondering all that he’d come to learn that night. About Lauren. About her friends. About _himself_. He was still struck by his earlier realization, feeling off kilter despite the alcohol having long since passed through his system. Kieran had always been content in his life, fulfilled by his art and the service he provided for the city. Yet in the weeks since he’d met Lauren he’d begun to feel more. More happiness, more anxiety, more excitement, just… _more_. The city itself even felt born anew, brighter and more colourful. He’d initially choked it all up to his newfound infatuation; the high of a new relationship that he’d seen in many of the men he’d sketched over the years. But it took spending the night out with Lauren’s friends and his chat with Dylan to really bring everything into stark clarity. 

It was people he’d been missing all along. Family, friends, lovers; they’d all been absent from his life for lord knows how many years, a sacrifice made in the name of his art. Now he understood that there was no need to trade one for the other. Having people in his life didn’t restrict his world, they expanded it. How much more could he experience now that he’d begun letting more people in?

Before he knew it he was outside his apartment. The clocks in the shop window nearby told him it was nearly 1 in the morning now, yet his feet felt glued to the doormat, mind as restless as ever.

 _Was this how Lauren felt? Had she even realised it herself?_ All of these questions swam around in Kieran’s head. He wanted to help her understand too, to let her know that she wasn’t alone in feeling like everything in her life was beginning to reset. 

Then it came to him in an instant, and he knew what he had to do.

-

Lauren groaned as she took her seat at the dining room table, dropping her head onto her folded arms. 

“Good morning, Lady Lauren,” Lucy said pleasantly, though Lauren could hear the amusement she tried to hide in her tone, “Or should I say good afternoon? Seems like you had quite a night.”

It was all Lauren could do just to groan in response. Lifting her head to actually speak would have forced her to open her eyes, and that in it of itself would have been enough to have her throwing up all over again. 

_Three drinks_. Lord they were all going to _eviscerate_ her when she came back to work on Monday, and Kieran would probably love to tease-

She felt her entire body seize.

 _Kieran_.

Her head shot up from out of her arms, sending another wave of nausea through her entire being. She held her breath in a desperate attempt to halt her roiling stomach and, once she’d recovered enough to tolerate sitting upright, called after Lucy.

“Hey how did I get home last night?”

Lucy appeared seconds later, carrying a tray of coffee and pancakes. “Apparently Dylan brought you home. Your father was the one who answered the door and saw you both inside. He and your mother left to visit your uncle an hour ago so you ought to ask him for more details once they return.” she placed the tray before Lauren with a small smile before returning to the kitchen.

“Thanks Lucy,” Lauren said, keeping her eyes on her breakfast. So Kieran hadn’t been the one to bring her home last night. Whether or not he’d made that decision consciously, either way Lauren was relieved. She didn’t think she could handle showing up drunk out of her mind in the arms of the boyfriend they didn’t know she had. That would have made her want for death even more than she did at that moment.

With relief fresh in her veins, Lauren began nursing her coffee, the first sip immediately removing some of the edge of her hangover. She moved to grab her knife and fork for the pancakes when she noticed an envelope next to her napkin on the tray.

“Lucy what’s this letter?” 

“Oh we found that in the letterbox this morning.” The maid called out from inside the kitchen, “There’s no addresses or stamps on it though. Whoever sent it must have delivered it in person.”

Lauren hummed in response, studying the letter intently. Sure enough there was no writing on the outside apart from her name. Although the last thing she wanted to do was read, her curiosity eventually won out. Her butter knife made quick work of the envelope, allowing its contents to slide easily into her hand. 

A gasp escaped her lips once she got a good look at it, because it wasn’t a letter she’d received, but a sketch. A sketch of her and her friends from the night before, done in a style she’d become quite familiar with in recent weeks. 

It was rough in the way that made it clear he’d rushed it, yet the skill and detail still shone through. She could see it all: Kym and Will arguing and Harvey trying to calm them down, Lukas’ frown and Lila’s smile, Dylan with his ever present smirk, and Lauren herself, not belligerently drunk as she’d feared, but grinning back up at her, the only one in the piece who seemed to be staring at the viewer, eyes bright and happy. It was an entire snapshot of their night, all rendered on a piece of cardstock no larger than a postcard.

She felt a pull in her heart as she continued to admire the little drawing, unable to stop staring at it for what felt like an eternity. 

Flipping it over in her hands she discovered another surprise: a handful of sentences written in a neat script:

_I had a lot of fun last night. They’re amazing people and you’re all lucky to have found each other. I hope we can spend time with them again, so long as you’re not dead right now, of course._

_-Kieran_

A wheeze escaped her lips, exasperating her headache but it hardly mattered to her because _of course_ Kieran would find a way to throw a joke at her expense into a beautifully sincere gesture. 

“Are you alright Lady Lauren?” she heard Lucy call once more, most likely poking her head out of the kitchen door, “I’m surprised to hear you laughing with how you were feeling just a minute ago. What was in that letter of yours?”

“Oh don’t worry about it.” she responded, keeping her eyes fixed on Kieran’s work once more, “It’s nothing.”

Lauren couldn’t remember the last time she’d been more happy about being the only one with the ability to see lies.


End file.
